Telescopic adjustable vertical post for partion walls

ABSTRACT

A telescopic vertical post of adjustable length and used for partition walls of the kind which include a profile beam of metal which at one end is provided with an adjustable extension for fixing between a floor and a ceiling, said extension being shaped as a slide-like part telescopically movable inside the profile support, the part by means of spring devices arranged in the support being biased in a direction out of the profile support, i.e., to a firm rest against, e.g., the ceiling, the slide-like extension along its length being provided with cuts or slits for receiving a rest element for one end of a spring device, the other end of the device resting against a part fixed to the support.

United States Patent [191 Thomassen [4 1 Dec. 17,1974

[ TELESCOPIC ADJUSTABLE VERTICAL POST FOR PARTION WALLS [75] Inventor: Steinar Thomassen,Oesteraas,

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 2,967,592 l/l96l 248/356 2,991,040 7/1961 248/356 3,080,980 3/1963 Gibbons 248/356 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [82,999 7/l922 Great Britain 248/356 242,551 ll/l925 Great Britain... 248/356 Primary Examiner-Ernest R. Purser Assistant Examiner-James L. Ridgill, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or FirmLarson, Taylor & Hinds 5 7 1 ABSTRACT A telescopic vertical post of adjustable length and used for partition walls of the kind which include a profile beam of metal which at one end is provided with an adjustable extension for fixing between a floor and a ceiling, said extension being shaped as a slidelike part telescopically movable inside the profile support, the part by means of spring devices arranged in the support being biased in a direction out of the profile support, i.e., to a firm rest against, e.g., the ceiling, the slide-like extension along its length being provided with cuts or slits for receiving a rest element for one end of a spring device, the other end of the device resting against a part fixed to the support.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures TELESCOPIC ADJUSTABLE VERTICAL POST FOR PARTION WALLS The invention relates to a height adjustable vertical post which is incorporated in partition wall arrangements. As previously known, there is a number of various such posts embodying means for fastening between floor and ceiling of a room.

It is the object of the invention to provide a simple, yet sturdy arrangement of such posts, whereby these may be given a safe clamping at the same time as the post is automatically able to adapt itself to any possible variation which may occur in the distance between the parts of a building, e.g. floor and ceiling, between which these posts are fixed. These variations may be caused by tolerance deviations in the construction of the house as well as subsequent changes caused by the building settling or for other reasons being subjected to material expansion or contractions, eg on varying loads.

The post is made of a suitably profiled beam of metal. According to the invention, the beam is preferably at the upper end provided with an extension being telescopically movable inside the said profile, said extension by means of a spring device sought to be pressed in a direction out of the profile beam, i.e. to a firm rest against e.g. the underside of a ceiling.

This extension, which thus similar to a slide slides in the supporting profile, is preferably provided with removals or the like, which may provide fixing at optional distance, depending on the length of the extension, for a rest against which the one end of a spring is situated. The other end rests against a stationary part fixed to the supporting profile.

By these means the said extension and its spring action may be easily adapted to the actual ceiling height or the like.

In order to elucidate the invention further, it will be described below with reference to an embodiment as shown on the drawing. However, it will be understood that these details only are shown and described as an illustration of the inventive idea and that the said idea asregards details may be modified in many ways within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows in a perspective view the upper portion of a profile wall post for which the invention is adapted.

FIG. 2 shows in a smaller scale the post fixed between the floor and the ceiling.

The post 6 is, as seen, at the upper end provided with a slide-like extension 5. The latter is, along its length and with suitable mutual distances, provided with transverse cuts or slits 1. A slit plate 2 is fitting into these slits, said plate 2 by means of its lower side forming a rest for a helical spring 3. Its other or lower end is resting against a part being fixed to the post 6. In the example shown, the said part is constituted by the lower upwardly bent end 4a of an angle bracket 4, its upper end 4b being bent to make a grip about the upper edge of the post 6, as clearly seen from FIG. 1.

Coarse adjustment or adaption of the post is performed by placing the slit plate 2 into a suitable slot 1. The spring 3 will then ensure that the post is safely fixed between the floor and the ceiling and adapts itself to variations which occur.

The spring 3 will be lying hidden inside the profile post, being well protected, and neither visible nor disfiguring. Only the front edge of the slit plate and the slits lying above are visible. There is thus obtained an embodiment which is attractive and esthetically appealing in addition to a rigid, simple and efficient device which serves the stated object of the invention.

As mentioned, modifications of the embodiment shown and described may be easily visualized. For instance, the slits 1 may be replaced by other forms of re movals for cooperation with pins or the like on a resting device for the spring. Also other embodiments of the cooperation portions of the slide extension 5 and the spring rest 2 may be easily visualized.

Friction devices 7, 8 may in a manner known per se be arranged between the ends of the post and the ceiling or the floor, respectively.

I claim:

1. A telescopic vertical post of adjustable length and used for the support of partition walls, said post comprising a channel-shaped profile beam of metal which at one end is provided with an adjustable extension by means of which the post can be fixed between a floor and a ceiling, said extension comprising a slide member within and telescopically movable along the inner surface of the channel-shaped profile beam, helical com pression spring means biasing said slide member upwardly from said profile beam such that it will rest firmly against the lower surface of the ceiling, said spring means being located within said channel-shaped profile beam between transversely opposed surfaces of said profile beam and said slide member, bracket means secured to said profile beam and fixedly supporting the lower end of said helical spring, transverse openings in said slide member spaced along the length thereof and insertably and removably receiving in any one of said openings an abutment member bearing against the upper end of said spring, such that the spring extends upwardly past the lower end of said slide member and biases said abutment member and said slide member upwardly relative to said profile beam, and the extensibility of said slide member is readily adjustable by varying the location of said abutment member along said slide member without varying the location of said spring means in said beam.

2. A telescopic vertical post according to claim 1 wherein said bracket has an upper end suspended on the upper edge of the profile beam by means of a bent end portion and the lower end thereof is bent outwardly inside said profile beam to provide support for the lower end of said spring.

3. A telescopic vertical post according to claim 1 wherein said openings have the form of narrow transverse slits, and said abutment member is a plate fitting into the slits.

4. A telescopic vertical post according to claim 1 wherein said profile beam and said slide member have surface portions which together define an elongate hollow space inside said profile beam, said spring and said brakcet means being located within said hollow space, and said abutment means projecting into said hollow space.

5. A telescopic vertical post according to claim 4 wherein said surface portion of said slide member is concave as viewed longitudinally of said slide member, and said openings are formed in said concave surface portion and spaced longitudinally along said slide member, the upper end of said spring being always above the lower end of said slide member by a distance dependent on the location of said abutment member. 

1. A telescopic vertical post of adjustable length and used for the support of partition walls, said post comprising a channelshaped profile beam of metal which at one end is provided with an adjustable extension by means of which the post can be fixed between a floor and a ceiling, said extension comprising a slide member within and telescopically movable along the inner surface of the channel-shaped profile beam, helical compression spring means biasing said slide member upwardly from said profile beam such that it will rest firmly against the lower surface of the ceiling, said spring means being located within said channelshaped profile beam between transversely opposed surfaces of said profile beam and said slide member, bracket means secured to said profile beam and fixedly supporting the lower end of said helical spring, transverse openings in said slide member spaced along the length thereof and insertably and removably receiving in any one of said openings an abutment member bearing against the upper end of said spring, such that the spring extends upwardly past the lower end of said slide member and biases said abutment member and said slide member upwardly relative to said profile beam, and the extensibility of said slide member is readily adjustable by varying the location of said abutment member along said slide member without varying the location of said spring means in said beam.
 2. A telescopic vertical post according to claim 1 wherein said bracket has an upper end suspended on the upper edge of the profile beam by means of a bent end portion and the lower end thereof is bent outwardly inside said profile beam to provide support for the lower end of said spring.
 3. A telescopic vertical post according to claim 1 wherein said openings have the form of narrow transverse slits, and said abutment member is a plate fitting into the slits.
 4. A telescopic vertical post according to claim 1 wherein said profile beam and said slide member have surface portions which together define an elongate hollow space inside said profile beam, said spring and said brakcet means being located within said hollow space, and said abutment means projecting into said hollow space.
 5. A telescopic vertical post according to claim 4 wherein said surface portion of said slide member is concave as viewed longitudinally of said slide member, and said openings are formed in said concave surface portion and spaced longitudinally along said slide member, the upper end of said spring being always above the lower end of said slide member by a distance dependent on the location of said abutment member. 